Ranking the 12 Biggest Threats to Dethrone the Seattle Seahawks as Super Bowl Champions in 2026

Repeating is rare in professional sports these days.

The Kansas City Chiefs and the New England Patriots are the only NFL teams to repeat as Super Bowl champions in the 21st century.

And across the last 44 combined seasons between the NFL and Major League Baseball, there have been only a handful of repeat champions, underscoring just how difficult it is to go back-to-back in modern pro sports.

Thus, the Seattle Seahawks have their work cut out for them. 

Who is most likely to rob Seattle of a potential repeat in 2026? We've ranked the top dozen candidates.

Outside Threats

AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski

Caleb Williams

Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears: Need to prove they weren't one-hit wonders with shiny new head coaches in 2025. 

Washington Commanders: Too many questions surrounding the support in place for their franchise quarterback. 

Houston Texans: Too many questions surrounding their franchise quarterback.

Dallas Cowboys: "Fool me once, shame on...shame on you. Fool me, you can't get fooled again."

Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Steelers: Headed in the wrong direction.

12. Kansas City Chiefs

AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

Patrick Mahomes

Why they're a threat

Put simply: Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. As long as those guys are a factor, Kansas City can be a legitimate threat. The Chiefs went 1-9 in one-score games in 2025. If they can reverse their fortunes in that area in 2026, a team that has played in five of the last seven Super Bowls certainly could be back in the big game. 

Potential obstacles

On paper, the 30-year-old Mahomes has performed at a mediocre level for three years running as his support has dropped off. Kansas City is once again in salary-cap hell, and the rest of the AFC West appears to be passing the Chiefs by. 

The Bottom Line

This has become the NFL's ultimate wild card. It's boom or bust. The Chiefs make this list because of the height of the potential boom, but I'm betting on bust. They're closer to a rebuild than they are to another title, but they steal this spot from the emerging Bears, primarily because of that pedigree. 

11. New England Patriots

AP Photo/Julio Cortez

Drake Maye

Why they're a threat

They just played Seattle in Super Bowl LX, and they should be on the rise with third-year reigning MVP runner-up Drake Maye surrounded by plenty of young talent. 

Potential obstacles

They rode the easiest schedule in the league to that Super Bowl, got embarrassed in said game, and it's entirely possible they come crashing back to earth with a target on their back in 2026. You know the Bills will come at them aggressively, and there's a good chance the AFC's elite will bounce back from an off year to put up a bigger challenge. 

The Bottom Line

Buffalo reclaims the AFC East and the still-flawed Patriots are exposed in the spotlight, just as they were in the Super Bowl. They'll be a one-and-done wild-card team at best, but they make this list because they're the reigning AFC champs. 

10. Cincinnati Bengals

AP Photo/Jeff Dean

Joe Burrow

Why they're a threat

That Joe Burrow-Ja'Marr Chase-Tee Higgins offensive combo, if healthy, is one of the best in football. The Bengals are also loaded with cap space, which could enable them to bolster a terrible defense and return to the prime contender circle where they resided earlier this decade. 

Potential obstacles

That 30th-ranked scoring D needs work, and they'll have to use a lot of that free cap space either retaining or replacing veteran impending free agents before even attempting to improve that unit with their draft and real-world capital. Plus, the Ravens should bounce back in that division. 

The Bottom Line

They're 24-27 since falling to the Bills in the 2022 AFC Championship Game. I'm not about to place them back into the Super Bowl. That said, there is a path if they can get this offseason right and remain healthy in key spots. 

9. Denver Broncos

AP Photo/Bart Young

Bo Nix

Why they're a threat

They probably make the Super Bowl this year if Bo Nix doesn't suffer an ankle injury in the divisional playoffs. But he will be back behind a stellar offensive line and with the support of one of the league's best defenses in 2026. If he can take another big step forward, Denver is the team to beat. 

Potential obstacles

It's far from certain Nix will take that step forward following what was a "meh" sophomore season. 

The Bottom Line

This could change if they reel in an elite new weapon for Nix this offseason, but that won't be easy. I still don't fully trust Nix or his arsenal enough to view the Broncos as a top-five contender in 2026. And considering all of their success in terms of comebacks, one-score games and matchups with sub-.500 teams, it's possible we see some regression here. 

8. Green Bay Packers

AP Photo/Nam Huh

Jordan Love

Why they're a threat

They entered 2025 as a favorite in the NFC and remained in the mix before falling off a cliff in December. But injuries were a big part of that, and they could have key guys like Micah Parsons and Tucker Kraft back in September. 

Potential obstacles

Parsons and Kraft aren't guarantees for Week 1, and quarterback Jordan Love continues to have issues with injuries and consistency. There are also plenty of holes elsewhere on both sides of the ball (including the never-ending dream of an elite receiver) and limited avenues to fill them with no first-round pick and limited cap space.

The Bottom Line

The ceiling is high if they can put it all together with Love and Parsons leading the way on either side of the ball, but there is a lot of room for things to go awry again. I'm still betting they do some playoff damage in 2026, which could be a problem for the Seahawks on their path to a potential repeat. 

7. Los Angeles Chargers

AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez

Justin Herbert

Why they're a threat

Powered once again by a top-10 scoring defense, a well-coached Chargers team possessing a 27-year-old franchise quarterback should have a much-improved offensive line with its two young and talented offensive tackles returning to health. But it shouldn't stop there, as only the Titans, Jets and Raiders are slated to hit the offseason with more cap space than the Bolts, per Spotrac. 

Potential obstacles

Quarterback Justin Herbert still threw 13 interceptions as his rate-based numbers declined slightly in 2025. A lack of support was surely a factor, but it's fair to wonder where Herbert's peak lies. He's never won a playoff game, so there's a large element of the unknown there. The AFC West is also stacked. 

The Bottom Line

This depends to an extent on what the Chargers do in free agency, but I actually like their trajectory more than Denver's because I'd still take Herbert over Nix and Jim Harbaugh over Sean Payton. An all-L.A. Super Bowl in L.A. is a distinct possibility. 

6. Baltimore Ravens

AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

Lamar Jackson

Why they're a threat

It starts with Lamar Jackson, and the possibility that he'll have another MVP-caliber season if healthy. This remains a talented team that could be reinvigorated by a new coaching staff, as intriguing 29-year-old offensive coordinator Declan Doyle teams up with Jackson. 

Potential obstacles

Can Jackson stay healthy? Will they miss John Harbaugh and his experienced staff? Don't forget this was also a subpar defensive team, and one that will be short on cap space with several key players slated to hit free agency. 

The Bottom Line

This team won 27 total games in 2023 and 2024, including two in the postseason. The regime change will ultimately do more good than harm, but it's still hard to imagine Jesse Minter getting them over that Super Bowl hump in Year 1. 

5. Detroit Lions

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Jared Goff

Why they're a threat

The roster remains one of the most talented in football, even if the Lions have fallen short in recent years. It's entirely possible they finally break through in a conference that has sent five different teams to the Super Bowl since 2020. 

Potential obstacles

At this point, it's fair to wonder if quarterback Jared Goff can actually get them over the hump. He and his teammates have continually failed to execute when it matters most, and the Lions will struggle to improve while tight against the cap this offseason. 

The Bottom Line

They're a lot better than their 9-8 record indicated in 2025 and should bounce back. Don't forget they won two playoff games in their breakout 2023 campaign, so it's not as though they can't win in big spots. I don't have them winning the Super Bowl, but they should be in the picture again next January.

4. Buffalo Bills

AP Photo/Bart Young

Josh Allen

Why they're a threat

It starts with quarterback Josh Allen, who has led them to playoff wins in six consecutive seasons. The Bills have been a major threat this entire decade. 

Potential obstacles

A shakeup at head coach isn't guaranteed to fix what ails this team in critical January moments, especially as they've just handed the reins to the next man up from the same regime. 

The Bottom Line

Incoming DC Jim Leonhard can bolster a defense that remains quite talented, but the cap-strapped Bills are likely to take some hits in free agency and the offensive line could be hit by a loss of continuity. Too much may be falling on Allen, who also faces mounting pressure over his big-game letdowns. But they still may be the best by default in a transitioning AFC. 

3. Philadelphia Eagles

AP Photo/Terrance Williams

Jalen Hurts

Why they're a threat

At one point this past fall, the 2024 Super Bowl champion Eagles had won 20 of 21 games. They hit some snags the rest of the way and went one-and-done in the playoffs but have championship pedigree and arguably the deepest overall roster in the NFL. 

Potential obstacles

A veteran team with big commitments to stars will likely bleed a little in free agency, and there are several big questions worth asking about the offense. Will Saquon Barkley hit a wall in Year 9? Is A.J. Brown already declining? Has the league figured out Jalen Hurts? And is the tush push dead? 

The Bottom Line

Lost in the Wild Card Round, went to the Super Bowl, lost in the Wild Card Round, went to the Super Bowl, lost in the Wild Card Round, went to the Super Bowl? The Eagles are in a prime position to continue that half-decade-long trend in 2026, but it's also possible they peaked in 2024. 

2. San Francisco 49ers

AP Photo/John Froschauer

Kyle Shanahan

Why they're a threat

Head coach Kyle Shanahan somehow had the 49ers in the Super Bowl picture despite the fact that the roster was again ravaged by injuries in 2025. If they can experience even a bit of injury luck for once in 2026, they'll be a prime contender. The talent is definitely there on both sides of the ball, and Shanahan is a genius. 

Potential obstacles

The problem is this has become a glaring trend. San Francisco hasn't experienced anything resembling injury luck in nearly a decade (outside of an aberrational 2023 Super Bowl campaign). Why should we expect anything different in 2026?

The Bottom Line

Even without a major injury correction, a team that managed to win 12 games in a tough division in 2025 could challenge the Seahawks and others with even a little more fortune when it comes to health. That is a statistical likelihood, so don't be shocked to see them battling hard in January or even February. 

1. Los Angeles Rams

AP Photo/Ben VanHouten

Matthew Stafford

Why they're a threat

The Rams won the Super Bowl in their home stadium four years ago and should be considered the favorite to do it again at SoFi in 2026. Matthew Stafford has the weapons, the offensive line, the defense and the coaching, and the experienced Rams went toe-to-toe with the Seahawks in all three of their meetings this year. Plus, for once, they're actually in fantastic salary-cap shape.

Potential obstacles

Stafford is 38 and could hit a wall any day now despite his MVP 2025 campaign. Plus, L.A. could easily be victimized by how stacked the NFC West is. Another treacherous road playoff journey could be problematic. 

The Bottom Line

They may not have the sustainability to go all the way and win it, but I do think they beat out the Seahawks to win the division this time—essentially blocking Seattle from a clear path back.